The LSU Tigers are a touchdown favorite going into Williams-Brice Stadium to face South Carolina this Saturday and it should be a hard fought matchup through all four quarters. College GameDay will be there. Josh Pate and his crew will be on site for their "Whole New Saturday" tour. The expectations are set sky high for this to be a potential "game of the week" throughout all of college football.
The two teams look rather evenly matched in the trenches as LSU's strong offensive line faces off against the equally impressive defensive front of South Carolina. LSU's defensive front has struggled, but so has South Carolina's offensive line (surrendering seven sacks already). Both teams should exchange fairly even blows up front. Where this week's matchup will likely be decided is on the perimeter. To find out why that is, let's dive into some key matchups in the secondary for both teams.
LSU Wide Receivers vs. South Carolina Defensive Backs
LSU's wide receivers have looked rather incredible thus far through two games of the 2024 college football season. Kyren Lacy has already hauled in four touchdowns on just 18 targets and continues to impress on every snap. His leaping touchdown against Nicholls State was certainly a sight to behold (as you can see below).
Outside of Lacy, there are at least four other strong receiving threats for LSU too. Tight end Mason Taylor is having himself another breakout season already with 11 catches, dominating from both the slot and in-line tight end positions. Aaron Anderson is embarrassing defenders from the slot. CJ Daniels has been the steady do-it-all force in his near-every-down role outside as the team's X receiver. And Zavion Thomas has showed promise as a surprisingly reliable chain-mover in his fourth wide receiver role. Unfortunately, South Carolina's defensive backs might be the perfect matchup to shut them down.
O'Donnell Fortune and Judge Collier (the two outside cornerbacks) are allowing less than eight yards per reception so far this season and have combined to defend three passes already.
Jalon Kilgore and Nick Emmanwori, the Gamecocks' two versatile slot and box-heavy safeties have defended seven passes together, allowing just five receptions on 14 targets in coverage.
The lone weak spot of South Carolina's secondary looks like the team's true free safety DQ Smith who's already given up one explosive pass play of 72 yards. And he would have given up another on a missed deep shot by Kentucky last week. Lacy and Daniels have been the two receivers who have found any success stretching the field, so those two targets will need to win on their deep routes.
If Garrett Nussmeier is going to hope for any explosive plays he's going to have let it rip vertically more often this week. South Carolina's defensive backs are far too good at containing underneath route combinations.
Related: LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier's advanced metrics have him on special trajectory for 2024 season
South Carolina Wide Receivers vs. LSU Defensive Backs
As for South Carolina's wide receiver matchup against LSU's defensive backs, this looks like a weakness against weakness at first glance. The Tigers' secondary has been a huge problem again this season, ranking outside the Top 100 in multiple categories against the pass . Meanwhile, South Carolina's wide receivers have combined for less than 200 receiving yards through two games. However, if LSU sleeps on the Gamecocks' receivers they could be in trouble.
South Carolina has one of the fastest sets of wide receivers in the nation between Jared Brown, Vandrevius Jacobs, true freshman Mazeo Bennett, and fringe-Olympian sprinter Nyck Harbor. Jacobs and Brown have been targeted around 20 yards downfield on average as they both have smooth easy speed that gets them behind defenders quickly. Harbor hasn't connected just yet, but he's seeing mostly vertical opportunities as well. The real threat looks like it could be true freshman Mazeo Bennett, as he just might be the Gamecocks' new secret weapon.
"I told you that you were a big time player, [Mazeo Bennett]! You're just getting started!"
Shane Beamer had confident, excited words for Mazeo Bennett after he scored his first career touchdown with the Gamecocks in the first quarter this past week against Kentucky. Bennett has emerged as the team's primary slot wide receiver, logging over 18 yards per reception and nearly three yards per route run (an elite mark for any college wide receiver).
Major Burns will be the LSU Tigers' defensive back likely cast to shut down the emerging efficient weapon in Bennett. While Ashton Stamps, Sage Ryan, and a mix of Zy Alexander and PJ Woodland will rotate in and out to face the speedy outside wide receivers. Unfortunately, the LSU secondary doesn't likely matchup well from a speed standpoint with the Gamecocks.
Sage Ryan is probably the only verified sub-4.5-second forty-yard dash defender among the whole LSU secondary rotation. Four of the five defensive backs have surrendered receptions of 20+ yards already. And collectively the LSU secondary is giving up nearly nine yards per pass attempt at the moment.
While South Carolina's passing attack doesn't look daunting on paper (yet), their young quarterback LaNorris Sellers ranks 17th in yards per completion and seventh in average depth of target on his passes among power conference quarterbacks. If he connects on just a few more of his deep shots with his quartet of track stars at wide receiver that could mean real trouble for LSU.
LSU is going to have to hope that their current SEC-worst secondary holds up long enough for Garrett Nussmeier to find Kyren Lacy or CJ Daniels on a few explosive plays this week. LSU's performance on the perimeter (on both sides of ball) is likely going to be the deciding factor in this game. Just a few explosive plays from either offense that thrives in big play creation could swing the scoreboard drastically in one direction, and fast.
Related: LSU Tigers pass rush is in real trouble again as Blake Baker continues to waste Harold Perkins
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